White Snow
by Glue-san
Summary: Aizen comes to the human world with the only purpose of stabbing Rukia. What is he planning? And what does that have to do with Rukia's strange dreams? Summary sucks, I know, but please read! Light IchiRuki
1. Chapter 1

ooo

"Bankai!"

Ichigo destroyed a couple of hollows in his way and turned to face Aizen.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Aizen simply smirked and sidestepped to avoid Ichigo's attack.

"Ichigo! You idiot! Wait for reinforcements!" yelled Rukia, as she slashed a hollow who stepped into her path.

Ichigo ignored her, and continued attacking Aizen. The former captain just moved slightly and evaded all of Ichigo's attacks with a slightly amused expression. "I have no interest in fighting you, Kurosaki Ichigo," he said. "Actually, I am far more interested in your friend over there."

Taking advantage of Ichigo's surprise, he quickly shunpoed in front of Rukia and took out a long, needle-like thing from his sleeve. And he plunged it between her collarbones.

Rukia did the only thing she could do in this situation. She screamed.

"RUKIA!" Ichigo yelled.

He was about to take out his hollow mask and fight Aizen with efforts doubled when he felt two people growing closer. Aizen felt it too and turned to them.

"Ah, Kuchiki-taichou. And Abarai-kun too! Such a surprise to see you two here. I'd like to stay and chat, but my business here is done and I must return to Hueco Mundo. Until later!" He smiled mockingly, opened a Garganta and he and his Hollows left.

Renji then noticed his friend on the ground. "Rukia!" He ran towards her. His captain followed him quietly.

Rukia was gasping for air, bleeding heavily. Before anyone could do anything, Byakuya stepped up and picked his adoptive sister up. "We must get help for her," he announced and shunpoed to Urahara Shoten.

ooo

It had been a relatively peaceful day. Ichigo and Rukia were walking home from a complete day at school when Rukia's soul pager started beeping. They were shocked when they saw the monitor; more than a hundred low level hollows were concentrated on the center of Karakura Town. But what was the most disturbing was the presence of a captain class soul in the middle of them. Rukia called Soul Society for reinforcements before leaving.

Ichigo and Rukia rushed to the scene, and were surprised to see the hollows just sitting around, as if waiting for someone. When Aizen saw them arrive, his face broke into a smile.

ooo

"It seems like Kuchiki san is going to be okay."

Relief was palpable in the room. Ichigo and Renji relaxed in their seats were they had been sitting stiff with concern before Urahara's announcement.

"But… why would Aizen want to do that to Rukia?" Renji asked quietly.

"I can't be sure," answered Urahara thoughtfully. "She doesn't seem to be affected in any way, other than the stab wound, of course. The only thing we can do is wait for any changes there might be"

Nobody seemed satisfied by his answer.

"Renji, I want you to call Soul Society and tell them that we won't be returning until further notice." said Byakuya after a pause.

"Uh- yes taichou" said Renji, surprised by the request.

ooo

"_This world is full of snow. It is so cold. It is so lonely."_

Rukia opened her eyes and discovered she was in a forest full of snow. She instinctively knew where she was. It was the world of her thoughts, where Sode no Shirayuki lived. But she also realized that those whispered words could not belong to her zanpakutou. But if she was right, then who had talked?

Rukia started walking around, looking for the owner of that voice. She reached a clearing, were it was snowing heavily. She gasped. In the center of the clearing, there was a person, dressed all in white. Rukia started towards it.


	2. Chapter 2

Woohoo! I didn't abandon the story! I'm glad, because I think this thing actually has a plot after all (at least in my mind).

I'd like to thank **Flirty Angel** and **omaomae** who were the lone reviewers on the first chapter. So I'll thank you. Thank you! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did, it would mean I am Japanese, I can actually draw, and my name is Kubo Tite.

I've already kept you waiting for longer than necessary, so I hope you enjoy!

ooo

As Rukia walked towards the figure, she could already feel herself fading from her inner world. She hurried towards it, but as she was about to put her hand on the figure's shoulder, she woke up.

As she opened her eyes and craned her neck to look around, she noticed two things. First, that she was in a bed, in Urahara Shoten, most likely, judging by the furniture. And second, a stabbing pain at the base of her neck.

Rukia brought her hand to the affected zone, and realized it was heavily bandaged. How did this happen? she asked herself. The memories were dim, a hundred hollows, Ichigo, Aizen…

_Aizen._

What had he done? Rukia touched gingerly touched her bandaged wound again. If he wanted to stab her, wouldn't his sword do the job just fine? And yet he had used the bizarre needle-like thing.

After pondering the dilemma for a couple of minutes, Rukia braced herself and forced her body to sit up, and then stand. She weakly half-walked, half-stumbled to the door, to the front of the store, where she hoped everyone would be.

ooo

Urahara, Ichigo Renji, and Byakuya were in a very…awkward silence. Ichigo had come back from calling Inoue and explaining the whole situation to her. And after informing the rest of the people in the room that she was on her way, nobody had anything to say anymore. Urahara and Byakuya seemed fairly calm, but the other two were starting to get fidgety. Renji was about to suggest to go and check on Rukia out of concern and an escalating need to break the silence, when fast footfalls were heard outside. A few seconds later, Orihime burst in through the door.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she exclaimed between pants. "I came as fast as…I could. Where…where is Kuchiki-san?"

Before Ichigo could answer, Urahara interceded, "Kuchiki-san is in a room in the back." He wasted no time on pleasantries and got up, "Follow me, if you please, Inoue-san."

The girl nodded, and walked towards the door, where the shopkeeper was headed. He opened the door, and was startled to see the person they were headed to see standing behind it.

"Kuchiki-san!" cried Orihime.

"Hello, Inoue," Rukia smiled weakly.

"Kuchiki-san! Are you alright? Kurosaki-kun told me what happened! Does it hurt? Can you let me heal you?" she human said so fast that it was a little surprising that anyone had understood.

"Er... Sure."

Orihime immediately got to work. She summoned her healing shield around Rukia and in less than a minute, the process was finished and the wound gone. She examined her neck, and was satisfied to find no trace of it. "Thanks, Inoue," she told her friend with a smile. "You're amazing."

Byakuya suddenly got up then. "I believe we have nothing else to do here now. We're leaving, Renji."

His captain's abruptness startled Renji yet again in the same afternoon. "Of course, taichou!"

Byakuya opened a Senkaimon and left the room without another word. Renji followed him promptly, pausing only to wave goodbye to his friends. Once they had left, Orihime said, "Byakuya-san surely left in a hurry. I wonder if he left something in the oven like I…Oh no! I left my strawberry tofu on the stove! See you later, Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Urahara-san!" with that, she rushed out of the store and back to her home.

After a brief pause, Ichigo recovered and asked Rukia, "So, are you feeling better now, midget?"

"What? Do you doubt Inoue's healing abilities?" she shot back jokingly.

"Yeah, right. What I doubt is if you're tall enough to recover."

"What does height have to do with recovering?"

They left after thanking Urahara (or at least Rukia did) and continued bickering during the whole way home. Even so, they hurried. It was already getting late, and Ichigo's family, particularly Yuzu, would become worried if they didn't arrive soon. They had missed supper already.

Ichigo and Rukia walked in silence after finally running out of ways to insult each other. It was a rather comfortable silence, the type in which you just enjoy a very good friend's company.

"Rukia."

"What is it, carrot top?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ichigo's voice was serious.

"Of course I am, you idiot. Why wouldn't I be?"

Ichigo didn't have time to answer, since they had finally arrived home and in that precise moment he opened the door. His dad received him with a flying kick.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, old man?" Ichigo somehow managed to yell with Isshin's heel in his mouth.

"Punishing my unruly teenager of a son, of course!" he yelled back. "I wouldn't mind as much if you hadn't pulled Rukia-chan into your rebellious acts!"

"What sort of rebellious act are you talking about?"

"Ichi-nii, you took your time," Karin appeared and saved her father from a punch Ichigo was about to throw.

Yuzu, who was in the kitchen washing the dishes overheard the commotion and came to greet her older brother. "Onii-chan! Where were you? We were worried sick about you and Rukia-chan!"

"Sorry Yuzu. A…thing came up," was Ichigo's excuse. Hearing it, Karin's eyes narrowed slightly and she left with an indifferent expression plastered on her face.

"It was my fault," explained Rukia. "We were almost home, when I realized I forgot my…backpack….at school. We returned for it and then, walking back, I saw a beautiful, uh, bunny in an alley. He was so adorable I decided we should take him out of the town to a new home! Right Ichigo?" An almost sarcastic nod from the teenager. "But when we helped the bunny, Ichigo fell into a…ditch, and I had to go get help for him. And when Inoue and I finally got him out, it was already very late."

Isshin and Yuzu almost started crying.

"Don't worry, Rukia-chan, we forgive you!"

It was my horrible son's—"

"They bunny must feel so very—"

"—won't learn how to be a gentleman!"

"So nice to the bunny!"

"He's an idiot-!"

"Who's the idiot here, idiot?" Ichigo cut their crying off before he got insulted any more. "And anyway, I'm really tired after rescuing bunnies and," he glared at Rukia, "falling into ditches, so I'd like to sleep now. Good night!" With that, he dodged his father and headed to his room.

He heard Rukia saying good night to Isshin and going upstairs with Yuzu before he closed his door.

"Rukia-chan," said Yuzu as they climbed up the stairs. "We were really worried about Onii-chan and you today. So, if you could, please don't be late for dinner or anything, okay?"

Rukia was surprised by the girl's concern, especially since she didn't believe she knew Ichigo's little sister all that well. She smiled softly. "I can't promise anything, Yuzu, but I'll try my hardest."

Yuzu seemed satisfied by that answer.

When they entered the twins' bedroom, they saw that Karin was already in her pajamas, sprawled on her bed reading a book. When she heard the door open, she glanced up and gave Rukia a slightly suspicious look. Added to how she had so abruptly left when she had given her excuse for being late, Rukia almost feared she would try to question further. But she only went back to reading, much to the shinigami's relief.

Yuzu and Rukia readied themselves for sleep and after everyone was comfortably installed in their beds, Yuzu turned off the lights.

ooo

"_So cold. There's nobody here. Why won't anyone appear?"_

The same dream? Rukia moved between the trees, exploring her surrounding inside her inner world. The snowy forest seemed to stretch out forever. She encountered no living soul. Where was Sode no Shirayuki? Why hadn't she appeared yet? In the past times she had come into her inner world—to learn the First and Second dances, and years later, the Third—her zanpakutou's spirit was always waiting for her.

And yet, she was nowhere to be seen. Rukia continued walking around and, as had happened in the dream just a couple of hours earlier, she reached a clearing. It started snowing again. And…there it was. That person, clad in white. Again, it was turned away from her. As Rukia tried to walk toward it, the snowing intensified. And she trudged along. The snow had turned into a blizzard now, and Rukia could barely see the figure. She started shivering.

_How can I feel cold in my inner world?_ Wondered Rukia dumbly.

It was impossible. Rukia was knee-high in snow now, and the distance to the figure, which had seemed no more than a couple of meters before, now appeared to be more than a hundred meters, and it wasn't getting closer.

Rukia couldn't keep her teeth from chattering. She turned slightly to protect her face from the biting cold and suddenly saw the beautiful spirit of Sode no Shirayuki at the edge of the clearing, watching her progress with an emotionless expression. Rukia tried to change her course toward the zanpakutou but the snow was too thick. She tripped and fell, and couldn't get up. She lay on the snow shivering.

ooo

"So why did you do that to Rukia-chan, Aizen-taichou?" drawled Gin.

"I don't even know why you bother to ask, Gin, as I am sure you already know the answer," answered Aizen.

"It's sooo much more fun when you tell me your plan like and evil genius."

"Well, I can't deny that I am and evil genius, except that the type you are thinking about tends to reveal too much about his plan and end up failing, demonstrating that he isn't really a genius."

"Oh, Aizen-taichou, you can be so boring sometimes!"

"I can assure you Gin; this plan will be quite amusing, at least to us."


	3. Chapter 3

Finally, chapter 3! I meant to update about 3 weeks ago, but between my sister hogging the computer and my own procrastinating nature…I suppose it simply wasn't possible.

Thanks for the reviews to: **SingedDreamer**, **GoranR**, and **omaomae**.

Disclaimer: Do you think I would be writing fanfiction on the internet if I owned Bleach?

ooo

Rukia woke up feeling cold. She remembered her dream and it disturbed her. The person in white. The harsh weather in the usually calm forest. How Sode no Shirayuki had only stood there and watched her. Id didn't make any sense.

She was barely aware of Karin complaining to her sister how cold it had been at night and Yuzu suggesting they took out the thicker blankets since winter was starting to settle in. She just got ready for school while thinking about her dream. She was still thinking about it when she left with Ichigo after a small breakfast. Ichigo noticed, of course, but thinking about how she had brushed him away last night, he decided not to ask what was on her mind. Yet.

As the day progressed and Rukia continued being so absent-minded and absorbed in her own thoughts, Ichigo was starting to get a little worried. She was not the sort of person to brood over anything, but when she did, she wouldn't let go of it until she was satisfied with the result. _After school,_ Ichigo decided. _If she hasn't gone back to normal by then, I'll talk to her, no matter what she says._

They were halfway through math class when Rukia's soul pager started beeping and Ichigo's substitute badge wailing. They both got up, yelled a rushed excuse each at the teacher (_Nurse's office! Bathroom!_), and ran out of the classroom. They shed their human bodies and instructed Chappy to take care of them (Kon was locked up in Yuzu's room for leaving dirty magazines lying around in Ichigo's room).

Just three low-level hollows. It would be an easy job, and might even get back in time to finish the math assignment in class. Ichigo cleaved one of them with a Getsuga Tensho and Rukia destroyed another with a Sokatsui. But as she was finishing casting the kido spell, the third hollow attacked her back.

Ichigo was too far away; the only way to destroy the third hollow was with another Getsuga, but he wouldn't dare risk hurting Rukia. He yelled a warning at her.

Rukia had barely registered her friend's warning when she saw the hollow, jaws open wide, in the corner of her eye. She hadn't the time to react, and yet, as she was barely registering the danger, her armed moved on its own and stabbed the hollow's head.

She didn't turn, but her armed jabbed at the hollow from under her left arm. The hollow screeched one last scream before disintegrating.

Ichigo ran at Rukia. He wouldn't be concerned, since she had cleanly slain the hollow and saved herself from injury, except, in the moment of her counterattack, he clearly felt her reiatsu change, ever so slightly.

He couldn't even open his mouth before Rukia growled, "Don't say anything about if I'm okay or not. I killed the hollow. I am clearly not hurt. Now, let's go back to school before we get in trouble with Ochi-sensei."

The teenager knew better than to argue with the shinigami when she was in a dangerous mood.

The days passed. Rukia continued having those weird dreams. She was very irritable and had dark circles under her eyes because of lack of sleep. Yuzu and Karin complained about how cold the nights were becoming. Ichigo put two and two together. And after a couple of days, he confronted her.

"Rukia," he said to catch her attention. "Are you _really_ alright? You look like you haven't slept for _days._ And Karin and Yuzu keep saying that their room is really cold at night. And don't come up with some crappy excuse about how winter is coming around early this year or something," he added as Rukia opened her mouth to protest. "Your zanpakutou is an ice-type. I wouldn't really expect it from you since you don't have trouble controlling it, Rukia, but the any explanation I can think of is that your reiatsu is leaking out at night. What's happening, Rukia? And tell me the truth."

Rukia glared at Ichigo, and he glared back. Then she sighed, and gave in. "I've been having some strange dreams lately," she reluctantly confessed. "I think they began when Aizen came with his little army of hollows. I haven't been able to rest properly because of it."

"You fool! Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

Rukia grew angry. "It's none of your business, stupid! I think I can have a right to keep my dreams to myself!"

"It is if it you were to get hurt because you weren't paying attention in a fight because you didn't sleep well the night before!"

"Why would you care if that happens? That is my own problem!" Rukia yelled.

"You're my friend, of course I fucking care!"

"Shut _up,_ Ichigo!" Rukia screamed and walked away.

Well, _ran away_ would be a better way of describing it. She ignored Ichigo's call and continued running as fast as her gigai's legs would carry her.

_Stupid Ichigo. Why is he always getting into things that are not his business?_ Rukia seethed. _If he didn't go sticking his nose everywhere and trying to save everyone, his life would probably me easier. Hell, _my_ live would probably be easier._

Her angry thoughts were interrupted by her soul pager's loud beeping. Grumbling to herself, she took it out. And cursed her luck. It was a small group of Gillian-level Arrancar. Just in the direction she had stormed away from. Spitting out more unladylike curses between her teeth, she swallowed a Soul Candy and shunpoed back.

ooo

As she arrived, she saw that Ichigo had already gone Bankai and destroyed some of the Arrancar. There were only five remaining when Rukia joined the fray.

"Mae, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia called out and immediately destroyed one of them with a quick Tsukishiro. An Arrancar with a pig snout and vicious-looking claws came at her and attacked her. She blocked the slash with her zanpakutou. "Shinigami," he spat. "I'll have a great time killing you and having you for dinner." He started charging a zero. Rukia readied her feet to jump back, but before she could do anything, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and she blacked out.

ooo

_Dammit!_ Ichigo thought. He usually wouldn't have trouble with Arrancar this level, but they were just too many to fight comfortably. He activated Bankai and used the speed it gave him to slay his opponents before they could react. Now, on to the next foe.

He felt Rukia arrive and defeat one of them. Ichigo spared her a glance and saw her locked with an Arrancar that looked like a pig. He was interrupted by another idiot cocky enough to think he had a chance. Getting tired of the fight, he pulled out his Vaizard mask and prepared himself to let another Getsuga Tensho loose.

Suddenly, and icy pressure appeared. _Rukia! _Looking for her, he saw her back, Piggy at her feet already disintegrating into spirit particles. She disappeared with a dull sound, and reappeared behind an unexpecting Arrancar, promptly stabbing him in the throat. And that's when Ichigo saw his friend's face.

A mask.

Rukia swiftly killed the remaining Arrancar that was now trying to escape. And then she turned to the still-masked Ichigo. With another dull sound, she shunpoed—or perhaps sonidoed—in front of him and slashed at him. Ichigo could only block her attacks; he didn't dare to attack her. Yet, her speed was overwhelming and her attacks unpredictable.

He winced when he received a slash in the shoulder and, as if sensing an opening, the masked Rukia simply slashed Ichigo's face.

Ichigo quickly jumped back, but his mask fell in two pieces and felt a trickle of blood drip down his chin. He braced himself; getting prepared for the next blow that he knew would come.

But instead, the masked Rukia jumped back as if startled. She dropped her sword and the mask disintegrated into shards of ice. She blinked once and then fell to the ground, unconscious.

ooo

"Rukia! _Rukia!"_

Rukia opened her eyes to see a concerned Ichigo looming over her. She tried to stand up, but an overwhelming exhaustion stopped her. She barely managed to sit with Ichigo's help. As Rukia looked around, she saw that none of the Arrancar were alive anymore. _What happened?_

And suddenly, memories rushed back to her. Arriving at the fight, starting to fight an Arrancar, and then…nothing.

"Ichigo," she asked hesitantly. "What happened?"

Ichigo's expression darkened. "Can you stand up?" He didn't even wait for her answer and pulled her up.

"Ichigo, wha-"

He pulled Rukia into his back, just as they had done when Ichigo first became a shinigami. He immediately started to shunpo.

"Ichigo, what the hell? Where are you taking me?" Rukia asked angrily.

"I'm taking you to the Vaizards. You have a hollow inside of you, Rukia, and you have to learn how to control it."


End file.
